A week after the violent clashes last weekend in Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme) during a punitive expedition launched by the ultra-right after the death of young Thomas, rallies planned for Friday December 1 in Nice and Saturday December 2 in Valence and Romans-sur-Isère were banned by prefectural decrees.
In Valence, the Drôme prefecture banned two demonstrations due to “risk of disturbances to public order”. The first had been “widely relayed by ultra-right networks”, explains the prefecture in a press release published on X, suggesting “the presence of individuals wishing to renew aggressive actions and demonstrations of force”. Opponents of these ultra-right movements also planned to demonstrate, an action also prohibited to avoid possible “ideological clashes”.
More generally, the prefecture prohibits any unauthorized demonstration in Valence or Romans-sur-Isère between Friday at 2 p.m. and Monday 8 a.m. The carrying of weapons and ammunition, but also the use of fireworks, firecrackers and rockets is also prohibited.
An organizer, former member of Génération Identitaire
Same justification for the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture, which banned a gathering planned for Friday in Nice, near the courthouse, and points to “risks of disturbances to public order, clashes and [the] persistence of the threat terrorist.” One of the organizers of the rally, Gaëtan Le Mouillour, is a former member of the small far-right group Génération Identitaire, a movement dissolved in March 2021 by the Ministry of the Interior for an “ideology inciting hatred, violence or discrimination”, she underlines in her prefectural decree.
Since the death of Thomas, 16, stabbed at the end of a village ball in Crépol (Drôme), a tragedy for which nine young people were indicted, calls to demonstrate in France from ultra-right groups have multiplied on social networks.
The mayor of Romans-sur-Isère, Marie-Hélène Thoraval, filed a complaint on Wednesday after receiving threats by telephone and on social networks, including one of death “by decapitation”. After Thomas’ death, she called for “awareness” from the State regarding the situation in the country’s sensitive neighborhoods, and particularly in her city, evoking “a level of delinquency, the roots of which can be found in radicalization” or “drug trafficking.” His complaint and his comments were widely relayed on social networks by ultra-right activists.
The Paris police chief, Laurent Nuñez, had already banned, on Wednesday, a gathering planned for Friday in the heart of the capital, launched at the call of a small ultra-right group.